The Cruise A4 COMPLETE
by FullMoonDreams
Summary: When Richard Davies takes Tru, Meredith and Harrison on a cruise, Tru is suspicious of his motives. Her family is falling apart and when a fellow passenger dies the day rewinds but saving the victim will be easier than keeping her family together. COMPLE
1. Chapter One

_Disclaimer – I do not have the copyright for the characters etc. Just borrowing them for a while._ _The story is set after the conclusion of season one of the show._

_It was also planned out and/or written BEFORE the episodes of season two were aired so there may well be inconsistencies between this story and the actual season two._

_This story is a loose sequel to The Switch. The story will stand alone but if anyone is confused by Richard's out of character actions that is explained in The Switch. Cassie was introduced in The Deception and will only make a brief appearance in this story. I think I have included enough information in this story to explain who she is._

_I love hearing from people who read any of my stories so be sure to leave a review if you do read this. Incidentally I have set up a Tru Calling C2 if you want to check it out in my user profile. If you like Harrison focused fics I hope you will consider subscribing._

_Thanks and enjoy!

* * *

_

**The Cruise**

"You're going to be late," Davis warned Tru as he saw that she was still not moving from the computer in the office morgue. She shrugged in reply; she was in no real hurry for a family dinner with her father.

"You ready Tru?" called Harrison from through the doorway.

"Yeah, I just need to finish this," Tru replied with about as much enthusiasm as Harrison was showing, which was very little indeed.

Finally she could put it off no longer and stood up to join her brother.

"Jeans?" she asked as soon as she saw him. "They're never going to let you in wearing jeans."

"So?" Harrison replied with a small smirk. "I guess they won't let me in then and I get to miss Dad's lectures about my lack of a job. What a shame."

"Leaving me and Meredith to put up with the lectures. Thanks a lot."

"Knew you'd appreciate it," Harrison grinned as Tru hooked her arm through his and they headed outside after saying goodbye to Davis who was once again engrossed in his work.

They arrived at the restaurant a short while later to find Meredith standing at the front desk waiting for them.

"You're wearing jeans," she pointed out to Harrison the minute she saw them.

"Yeah, I know," he replied, clearly not the slightest bit bothered by either of his sister's opinions on his appearance.

"I'm afraid you can't come in dressed like that," the female host at the desk said with a regretful shake of her head.

"Oh well," Harrison shrugged turning away and walking straight into his father who had come in unobserved behind them.

"Not leaving already?" Richard Davies asked casually steering Harrison back around towards the desk.

"We have a dress code here," the host explained with a shake of her head. "Jeans are simply not allowed."

"Now I'm sure you can make an exception just this once," Richard said, casually handing over a substantial bribe.

"I guess, just this once," the host smiled before leading the party through to a table in the far corner of the restaurant.

"Nice try," Tru whispered to Harrison whose face had fallen at the host's decision to let him in after all.

"Isn't this nice?" Richard said after they had ordered. "A pleasant family meal. I thought it would be nice to start to get to know my older children again. We've spent too much time apart the last few years. We need to make up for that."

"That's hardly our fault," Tru pointed out. "And why isn't the rest of your family here?"

"_Our_ family, Tru," Richard amended with a strained smile. "They're at home. I wanted this time to be for just us four."

"So what do you want?" Tru asked. She was eager to get the evening over with and not too concerned that her abruptness might trigger an argument. They usually ended up arguing anyway so this time would be no different. They might as well get it over with as soon as possible, instead of dragging it out for the entire evening. They had smoothed things over a little recently but they all knew that nothing could make up for the lack of interest Richard Davies had shown in the lives of his eldest three children for the last few years.

"What do I want Tru?" Richard replied. "A pleasant family meal with my children. And, later on, I have a surprise for all of you."

"What sort of surprise?" Meredith asked, sounding slightly suspicious. She glanced around the room and Tru had the distinct impression she was looking for a blind date her father might be trying to set her up with. She had been putting up with lectures about marriage for some time and with their father in the strange mood he was in, there was no telling what he was plotting.

Meredith was still looking around the room when their orders arrived and Tru didn't fail to notice that their father had managed to neatly avoid the question.

The rest of the meal passed fairly pleasantly. Other than being asked if he had a job yet, Harrison managed to avoid the usual lectures. Tru also found that her life and choices were not being criticised quite as much as they normally were. There was also little mention made of Meredith and her lack of a suitable husband.

The only problem that Tru could see was that the man chatting amicably with them was nothing like the father they had known for the last few years. It made her deeply suspicious, especially as she watched both Meredith and Harrison warming to their father as he finally announced the surprise.

"A vacation?" Harrison asked. "Just us four?"

"That's right," Richard confirmed with a smile. "A week long cruise, just us. It'll be great."

"I have work," Tru pointed out.

"Me too," Meredith added, with far more disappointment than Tru had shown.

"I'm sure you can get a week off," Richard insisted. "It won't be the same without my two favourite girls there."

"I guess I can get cover," Meredith agreed with a bright smile across to Tru. Tru ignored her as she repeated that she had to work and that it was far too short notice to suddenly leave Davis in the lurch.

"Davis 'll give you time off," Harrison said to Tru before their father had chance to respond. "Come on, it won't be the same without you."

"What's the catch?" Tru asked, turning to her father with a stony expression.

"No catch," he replied with a sad smile. "I'm sorry you'd think there is one, though I guess I can see why you might. I hope this vacation will just be the start of my making things up to the three of you."

She wasn't convinced; it was just so unexpected and so unlike him. There had to be a catch, but she couldn't see what it was. She looked again at Meredith and Harrison who had already committed themselves to the cruise. What harm could it do to join them? If their father was up to something, as she strongly suspected he was, it was only sensible that she join them and try to limit the damage that was sure to ensue.

* * *

"He's up to something," Tru repeated for what seemed like the hundredth time.

"So you keep saying," Harrison replied from where he sat waiting for their father to show up for their departure on the cruise liner that was docked nearby.

"Did anyone ever tell you, you're kind of suspicious?" Cassie, Harrison's new girlfriend asked Tru. Tru rolled her eyes in response whilst Harrison grinned. She had supposedly come to see them off, though Tru suspected that Harrison had brought her along with the additional purpose of winding up their father. Tru knew, and she was well aware that Harrison knew as well, that nothing would wind up their father like producing a steady girlfriend with as little by way of job prospects as he himself had.

Tru had noticed that when Cassie's name had been brought up during the meal at the restaurant Harrison had carefully failed to mention her budding interior design business and instead only mentioned she worked as a waitress at his local diner. Their father had actually been very pleasant about her, much to the astonishment of both Harrison and Tru who had both been waiting for comments about his being young and should be playing the field, or worse still, raising his standards, but they hadn't come.

So Harrison had decided to bring Cassie along to see them off. Tru hoped he was doing the right thing, she didn't want their family problems to spread to others. She still recalled the problems their father had caused between Harrison and Lindsay, although Harrison himself didn't remember as the day had been fixed when it had rewound, thanks to a little intervention from Tru. She hoped that this time it would not be Cassie that was hurt.

Meredith arrived at the dock a short time later with her matching luggage. She looked at Harrison who was now engrossed in saying his goodbyes to Cassie.

"Oh for goodness sake, get a room," Meredith muttered as their father finally arrived with the tickets.

"Ah good, everyone's here," Richard called as he pulled his case from the taxi.

"You must be Cassie," he greeted the dark-haired girl with an open, friendly smile that was totally unlike him. "You sure you can part with Harrison for the week? You don't want to join us?"

"I thought this was a _family_ vacation?" Meredith asked with a disdainful scowl towards the waitress. Tru recalled that, like herself, Meredith had done little to get to know Cassie. Meredith's reasoning had been that with Harrison's track record, by the time she got to know her he would have moved onto another girl anyway.

"Well, she's practically family anyway," Richard said with another smile. Tru watched as Harrison blanched white, whilst Cassie tried to stifle a grin at his discomfort.

"I have to work anyway," Cassie finally replied, regretfully shaking her head once she had got her facial expression under control.

"Maybe next time?" Richard asked with another pleasant smile. Tru felt herself becoming more suspicious by the minute. Something wasn't right, something was seriously wrong with their father's attitude and opinions. He was acting nothing like himself and nothing seemed to be shaking him out of the new attitude.

Tru picked up her own luggage, as Cassie said her goodbyes and secured the taxi Richard had arrived in to take her home. Tru's suspicions were mounting by the minute and when she watched her father put his arm around Harrison's shoulders and congratulate him on finding such a pleasant girl she knew without a doubt that something was seriously wrong.

The only thing that made her feel slightly better was recognising the look of confusion of the faces of both Meredith and Harrison as they boarded the ship for the family vacation.


	2. Chapter Two

Tru stood leaning on the railing as the liner started to pull away. Unlike many of the other passengers she didn't wave to the crowd below, she still couldn't shake the feeling that something was not quite right.

She rubbed at the back of her neck as she sensed eyes watching her. It was something she had felt a lot over the last months, the sense of someone spying on her was strong and she felt her stomach knot.

She wouldn't turn around.

She was just imagining things.

She had been sensing Jack's presence dogging her steps for months now. She knew realistically that he could not have been following behind her every time she thought that she could sense him but still she knew that sometimes she was right. She had lost count of the number of times she had spun around whilst walking down a street only to see no sign of him behind her.

But once or twice she had been quick enough to catch him ducking into an alley or a doorway, a fleeting glimpse of her own personal nemesis.

"Something wrong?" Harrison asked from beside her as he waved enthusiastically to the crowd on the dock.

"No," Tru replied cautiously. "Just a bad feeling I've got."

"Well no one's died yet," Harrison whispered into her ear. "So why don't you relax a little and try to enjoy yourself. You deserve it more than any of us."

"Thanks Harry," Tru smiled at him and gave him a quick hug before forcing a grin on her face and turning to wave to the crowd too.

* * *

"We've got to share a room?" Meredith asked in shock as their father showed her and Tru into their room.

"I didn't think you'd mind," Richard said with a slight frown. "You used to share a room when you were kids."

"I didn't like it then either," Meredith pointed out with a huff and moving across the room to grab the best bed and to open her suitcase.

"It's only for a week," Tru pointed out. "I'm sure we can get along for that long."

"They're not fighting already are they?" Harrison asked with a grin as he poked his head around the door.

"We're fine," Tru said in a firm voice as she too turned towards her luggage.

"We're just across the hall," Richard said, pointing as he spoke to the open door directly opposite.

"Okay dad," Tru nodded.

Richard turned away and headed into his own room. Harrison lingered a moment but at Tru's forbidding frown, whatever smart comment he had been intending to make died on his tongue and he too turned towards the room he was sharing with their father.

Tru turned her attention to emptying her suitcase into the chest of drawers on her side of the room. The feeling of being observed was still with her even though Harrison had closed the door behind him and she was alone in the room with Meredith. Realising that it was only paranoia making her uneasy was a hollow relief. She decided she really would have to make an effort to put her unusual abilities out of her mind for the week. A break from everything including reliving days was just what she needed. A whole week with nothing to worry about except how to fill her hours on the luxury liner.

"There's a lot to do," Meredith commented from where she now lay reclining on the bed, leafing through the brochure and itinerary that had been left in their room. For a moment Tru wondered if she had spoken her thoughts aloud before realising her sister would surely have said something sooner if she had inadvertently spoken about reliving days.

"What do you want to do first then?" Tru asked picking up some of the information leaflets and flicking through them.

"Something to eat?" Meredith suggested. "I skipped breakfast this morning and the menu looks good."

"Okay," Tru agreed. She hadn't eaten much herself that morning through lingering worries about what was the matter with their father.

They finished unpacking and Tru grabbed her purse and followed Meredith out of the door. Locking the door to their cabin she checked it was secure twice while Meredith knocked impatiently on the door opposite until Harrison stepped out, closing the door behind him.

"We're going to get something to eat," Meredith told him. "You two going to join us?"

"Would I turn down food?" Harrison grinned. "I'm right there with you. But dad disappeared a minute ago. Something about checking something or other."

"Checking what?" Tru asked. "We've only just got on board. What could he have to check?"

"I don't know," Harrison replied. "I didn't ask."

"Didn't he say anything else?" Tru questioned.

"No," Harrison replied with a shrug. "I'm sure he'll be back soon. I'll leave him a note to let him know where we are."

"Okay," Tru nodded as her brother slipped back into his room and returned a minute later to join them.

"So does anyone else think this is odd?" Tru asked. "A sudden vacation for just us."

"Well it is unusual," Meredith agreed. "But why look a gift horse in the mouth?"

"The Trojans probably said the same thing," Tru muttered. Meredith rolled her eyes in response.

"Just try and relax," Harrison advised her again. "It's an all expenses paid cruise with no dead bodies."

Meredith frowned at her brother. "Can you not mention dead bodies when we're going to eat?"

"Sorry," Harrison apologised though Tru suspected it was more an automatic response than that he was actually sorry.

They both knew that Meredith was not as relaxed as Harrison was about Tru working in a morgue. Unlike her brother, Meredith rarely stopped by to see Tru when she was at work. Not that Tru was particularly bothered about her lack of interest in her work, but she didn't want her coming round upsetting Davis who after one disastrous date with her sister was now far from relaxed in her company.

Leaving their father to catch up with them the siblings headed towards the restaurant ready to sample the liner's food.

* * *

"You were too close," Richard criticised the young man who sat across from him in one of the ship's bars. "She could sense you there. It made her uncomfortable."

"She didn't see me," Jack Harper replied taking a drink of the whiskey Richard had bought him.

"You were careless," Richard continued. "It can't happen again. She can't know you're here."

"So what if she does?" Jack argued. "She's no reason to connect the two of us."

"There's too much at stake," Richard answered, taking a drink of his own. It was a dangerous game they were playing and the stakes were higher than even Jack knew. His financial position had been on a downward spiral since the day his wife had died. The day he had stopped reliving days himself.

Now his funds were almost depleted. Between the cost of locating Jack, making sure that he had the means of spying on Tru, and the cost of the cruise he was teetering on the edge of bankruptcy. Unfortunately Jack was too new at reliving days to get him out of the trench he was in just yet.

The problem was Tru was succeeding in saving lives far more frequently than Jack was in redressing the balance. He knew, although Jack didn't as yet, that if Tru continued to save the lives of the victims Jack's own rewinds would eventually stop as his own nearly had and the calling would pass to another, more worthy, adversary.

He had made a mistake in having his wife killed. He hadn't known at the time that his own rewinds would stop with her death and he would lose the foreknowledge that had made him a successful player of the stock market.

The tips that Jack gave him on the rewind days were some help but it would take much longer to claw his way back to the position he once held. What they needed was the tactical advantage of not having to waste so much of Jack's rewind days with stopping Tru's efforts to save the victim.

He hadn't known at the time he had turned his back on his children that his wife's calling would pass on to Tru. Though he ruefully told himself he should have suspected that it would because Tru was a good deal like her mother and with her parents being who they were it was only natural that the gift would pass to her.

If he had known he would have kept her close to him and maybe things would have been different.

But it was too late for that now; she had accepted her calling like her mother before her and nothing Jack had said had convinced her to alter her actions.

But that didn't mean they had lost.

Richard smiled slightly as he recalled the fluke incident not too long ago where Harrison's day had rewound instead of Tru's. Jack had lost his battle that day but what they had gained had been far greater than any one single life.

Tru might be set in her ways but Harrison was not. He might have turned to Tru without hesitation when his day had rewound but the next time he wouldn't. Richard would make sure of that and this cruise was the first step in guiding his layabout son towards a different way of thinking.

Richard finished his drink while Jack waited for him to elaborate and tell him just exactly what was at stake.

"Just make sure you aren't seen," Richard advised as he put his glass back down on the bar.

"You can't leave me out of the loop here," Jack insisted. "I need to know what's going on here."

"You know everything you need to know," Richard told him before turning and leaving the bar.

Jack finished his own drink and ordered another. He was here at Richard's request but somehow he felt more like a puppet than a guest. There was so much that he didn't know about the calling, so much that Richard was keeping from him.

He didn't like being played and there was only so much he was prepared to do without knowing the rest of the story.

Still, he thought with a sly smile, just because Tru was off limits it didn't mean that her sister was.


	3. Chapter Three

"Now _this_ is the life," Harrison commented later that afternoon as he and Tru relaxed by one of the pools.

"Hmm," Tru replied with a smile although she didn't bother opening her eyes.

"Wonder if dad's gonna make this a regular thing," Harrison said. "Wouldn't it be great to do this…?"

Harrison's voice trailed off as he saw Tru's face settle back into the concerned frown that she had worn almost permanently since Richard had sprung the surprise on them.

"You don't find it at all odd that all of a sudden dad suddenly decides to run for father of the year?" Tru opened her eyes and sat up to look her brother in the face. Was she the only one with suspicions?

"Aw, come on Tru, give him a chance, at least," Harrison said. "He's trying to make up for lost time."

"Sounds like bribery to me," Tru muttered.

"Well I know something that'll cheer you up," Harrison grinned.

Tru raised her eyebrow in response.

"That lifeguard over there's been checking you out," Harrison nodded discreetly across to Tru's right and sure enough when she turned to follow his gaze she caught the lifeguard looking her way before he quickly averted his eyes.

"Now if I were to go find something else to do, I bet he'll come over and talk to you," Harrison suggested with a wicked grin. "A little shipboard romance is just what you need."

"Hardly," Tru replied though she couldn't quite stop herself from glancing back towards the lifeguard who was once again looking in her direction.

"Come on Tru, live a little," Harrison said as he stood up and made a big display of looking around the area as though bored and looking for another activity to partake in.

Tru watched in exasperation as her brother gave her a wave. "Later Sis," he said before he disappeared out of sight.

"Great," Tru mumbled to herself. First their father has a personality transplant overnight and now her brother had decided to play matchmaker. Laying back again she closed her eyes and tried to put the concerns over her father out of her mind.

A few minutes later she felt a coolness that told her someone was standing over her and casting their shadow across her. She opened her eyes ready to berate Harrison only to find that his prediction had come true and that the lifeguard had indeed walked over to her as soon as he had departed.

"Hi," the lifeguard, Pete she read on his shirt, greeted her with a wide smile. "You enjoying the cruise so far?"

Tru smiled and wondered briefly whether he would want to hear the truth. She had not even opened her mouth to answer before he spoke again.

"God that was lame," he said rolling his eyes as he sat down in the deck chair recently vacated by Harrison. "Of course you're going to be enjoying the cruise. The weather's great and you're here with your boyfriend. Why wouldn't you be having a good time?"

"Boyfriend?" Tru asked in surprise before she realised that he had inadvertently mistaken Harrison for a boyfriend. She laughed aloud at the idea, her first real joy since setting foot on board.

"So I take it he isn't?" Pete asked with a grin.

"My brother," Tru explained. "It's a family vacation."

"So no other halves here?"

"No. Just me, Harrison and our older sister and our dad."

"And waiting back on dry land?"

"Harrison's left his girl waiting there," Tru replied.

"And is there anyone waiting for you?"

"Just my boss," Tru answered with a smile. "I'm Tru Davies."

"Pete Rawlings," Pete said by way of a belated introduction. "So can I buy you dinner tonight Tru?"

"I think my dad's got something planned for the family," Tru said with real regret.

"Tomorrow then?"

"Sure," Tru agreed as Pete stood up and walked back to his post at the poolside.

Tru settled back again but no longer felt like lounging by the pool. Standing up she waved across to Pete and set about tracking down her family.

* * *

Meredith wandered along the upper deck and leaned on the railings to look down at the poolside below her.

Tru and Harrison were seated beside the pool. She watched them from her vantage point with a small stab of jealousy.

It wasn't that she disliked her siblings but she had never been as close to either of them as they were to each other, they were a private club of two and she was the one who was always left to watch from the sidelines.

She watched them a moment longer and saw Harrison stand up to leave. She wondered whether to follow after him but decided against it.

"Now what's a lovely woman like yourself doing standing alone on board a luxury liner?"

Meredith turned around to see who had spoken to her, wondering whether he was deserving of the sharp end of her tongue or not.

Jack smiled charmingly and turned to look down at the poolside. "Someone you know?" he asked as he looked at Tru who was now talking to one of the lifeguards.

"My sister," Meredith replied with a shrug.

"Your older sister?" Jack asked with another charming smile.

It was an old line but Meredith smiled back anyway.

"I take it you're not a particularly close family?" Jack asked leading Meredith away from the railings. "Such a shame. My own sister and I are very close."

"She's here with you?" Meredith asked as they continued to walk.

"Sadly no," Jack replied. "I'm all on my own here. Just like you."

"Lunch?" Meredith asked as they neared one of the liner's restaurants.

"Delighted," Jack replied, opening the door for her.

* * *

Tru could find no trace of Meredith at all but did manage to track down Harrison and their father at the liner's small casino.

She had glanced through the window, not expecting to see them inside, and frowned at the sight of Harrison at the poker table. He had managed to stop himself from gambling for some months now and within a few hours of being on board the ship he was back at a poker table.

She had never told him how proud she had been of his hard work and determination to stop gambling; she wondered if it would have made a difference if she had.

"Harry can I have a word?" Tru called to him as she approached the table. He looked up and she caught the slight flush on his face in the fluorescent lighting. She wondered if it was guilt or excitement at having a good hand.

"In a minute Tru," he replied, clearly distracted.

"I'll be just outside," Tru called as he tossed a couple of cards down and waited for the dealer to pass him two more.

She paced outside furious with herself for not keeping a closer eye on Harrison, furious with their father for letting him near the table in the first place, and furious with Harrison himself for being so easily swayed back into his old habit.

"I was right wasn't I? He tried to pick you up?" Harrison asked as soon as he stepped outside.

"Yeah, we're having dinner tomorrow," Tru replied. "Now what do you think you're doing in there?"

"Winning," Harrison grinned. "Dad gave me a couple of pointers I never even thought of."

"That's not what I meant," Tru said as she grabbed his arm and hurried him away from the casino. "You've been doing so well not to make any bets and now you just decide to head back to the tables because dad gives you a few pointers?"

"Come on Tru, we're on vacation. Have a little fun."

"Fun?" Tru exclaimed. "You can't gamble Harrison. You know you're an addict. You can't just have the odd game, the odd bet. You _know_ that."

"I can stop any time I want to," Harrison argued.

"That's the point, you can't," Tru insisted trying to stop herself from shaking some sense into him.

"Dad says…"

"Dad's barely been around in years and suddenly he's the expert?"

"It's just a little poker game," Harrison said. "It's not hurting anyone."

"It's hurting you," Tru pointed out. "You're going to stand there and tell me that you're not thinking, right now, about how quickly you can shake me off and get back inside that room?"

Ducking his head, Harrison was not quick enough to hide the flush that this time Tru knew was guilt.

"You'll be in there every day of the vacation unless you can stop yourself."

"Dad 'll make sure things don't get out of hand," Harrison said. "Besides, it's only other passengers, nothing heavy."

"Dad shouldn't be letting you near that table in the first place," Tru insisted. "He should be helping you with your problem, since you obviously can't control yourself."

"Look Tru," Harrison said, his easygoing nature disappearing by the second as his rarely seen temper rose. "This is a vacation, a break from our lives. It's only a card game and it's not going to get out of hand. I can take care of myself."

"Something wrong Tru?" Richard asked as he approached the two of them.

"Dad," Tru said with a glance at her brother. "I just don't think it's a good idea for Harrison to be gambling."

"It's just a little poker game Tru," Richard replied. Tru listened to him echo Harrison's words and knew instinctively that she had been wrong. Harrison had tried to stop himself from going into the casino with their father, but unfortunately his willpower hadn't been strong enough to let him disappoint his father whose idea it had obviously been. She felt her fury rise again as she turned to her father.

"It's never just a little game when someone's an addict," she said in a tight voice. "If you'd been around a bit more the last few years maybe you'd know that."

"I can't change the past Tru," Richard said with sadness. "I can only try and make things up to you all."

"By encouraging Harrison to set aside months of hard work at controlling his addiction?" Tru argued.

"Can you not talk about me like I'm not here?" Harrison asked. "I'm not a child."

"Then stop acting like one," Tru retorted. "Dad may not know how deep you went under with your gambling problem but the two of us do."

"It's under control," Harrison argued.

"Okay, enough," Richard said, stepping between the two of them. "Tru, this is a family vacation and Harrison can spend his time just as he wants. Go back inside son, I'll be through in a minute."

Harrison nodded and returned the way they had come. Tru watched him go and started to follow after him, wanting to clear the air between them.

"Wait a minute Tru," Richard said as he placed his hand gently on her arm.

She turned to look at her father as Harrison disappeared through the door to the casino.

"I know you worry about Harrison, but you can't watch out for him twenty four hours a day."

"Dad, he's has a gambling problem."

"I know that," Richard replied. "But you can't save him from himself. Only he can do that."

"So you're testing him?" Tru asked. "Seeing how easily he can slip back?"

"Something like that," Richard said. "You're right. I've not been around enough the last few years. But that's going to change from now on. I want to see how bad his problem is and then I'll see about some professional help for him."

"He was doing fine on his own," Tru pointed out.

"If that were true then he wouldn't be at the poker table now, would he?" Richard countered. "Trust me Tru, he'll have all the help he needs soon enough."

"I just don't think it's a good idea to encourage him to gamble," Tru insisted.

"Well let's just see how it goes," Richard replied. "You've had a lot of time to help him after all. How about you give your dad a chance to look after his children for a while?"

With that Richard patted Tru on the arm and turned to follow after Harrison. He stopped at the door and called back to her to go have some fun. Tru smiled weakly and turned to try to find Meredith again.

She hoped their father knew what he was doing.


	4. Chapter Four

Later that evening Tru still hadn't managed to locate Meredith. She had searched the ship for almost an hour and figured that she must be just missing her as she moved from one area to another. She even wondered briefly if she might have fallen overboard before reprimanding herself for being even more paranoid than normal. Harrison was right, she did need to relax.

With that in mind she headed back to her cabin to change for dinner. She was just finishing applying her makeup when she heard a tentative tap on the door.

"Come in," she called without turning away from the mirror. She was just finishing putting on her lipstick as Harrison came into the room shutting the door behind him.

He stood across the room with an expression that told her he was sorry but he couldn't quite manage to say the words.

"Since when do you knock?" Tru asked with a grin and was relieved to see a matching response on her brother's face.

He walked across the room and took a seat on the couch next to Tru. She scowled at him as he swung his feet up onto the nearby table but he didn't take the hint. Oh well, its not like it was her furniture she thought.

"You wearing that to dinner?" asked Harrison as he looked Tru over.

"Sure," Tru replied.

"Dad 'll _love_ that," Harrison said sarcastically.

"I don't care what he thinks," Tru said, quickly running a brush through her hair. "If I want to wear this I will. It's a little late for him to start acting like a concerned parent, and I'm well past the age where he can tell me what I can and can't wear."

"Okaaay," Harrison drawled raising his hands in mock surrender.

Tru opened her mouth to ask Harrison what he had done with his day but closed it again immediately; the last thing she wanted was to start another argument. It seemed though that Harrison knew what she had been about to say. He shifted slightly so that she could sit down on the couch beside him. "I didn't spend all that time at the poker table," he said quietly. "At least not quite."

Tru breathed a sigh of relief.

"How much did you lose?" Tru asked since the subject had now been brought up anyway.

"Actually I won," Harrison said with a grin. "Here", he said reaching into his pocket.

Tru looked down at the small flat package he passed to her. "What's this?" she asked in surprise as she reached for it. Her brother was famous for forgetting presents on birthdays and anniversaries and Lindsay had despaired of ever getting a decent gift out of him on days when Tru had not rewound. Thankfully Harrison had managed to make up for his mistakes, with Tru's help, on the second attempt at the day, at least up until Jack had interfered.

"Just a sorry," Harrison said with a grin. "Go on open it."

Tru tore open the package and looked at the novelty item inside. It was a "Do not Disturb" sign to place on the door, but unlike the plain conventional ones, this one had the amusing picture of two rabbits and a lot of baby bunnies on it.

"Just in case you get lucky tomorrow night," Harrison said with another grin. "And partly for my own benefit since you _know_ I don't usually bother to knock."

Tru laughed as she swiped him with the sign. "I think Meredith might have something to say about me bringing a guy back here."

"So we're good?" Harrison asked.

"Sure," Tru replied. "Dad said he was just trying to help."

"Yeah, well…" Harrison hesitated a moment. "I'm not sure how much help it was to start playing again. I'd almost forgotten what a buzz it was to get a winning hand, to be anticipating the other players, reading their expressions, noticing their signs that give away when they're bluffing. Now I remember again. Damn."

"Oh Harry," Tru said, her worst fears confirmed. "Don't worry. We'll get you through this. It's not the end of the world. It _was_ just a game."

"That lasted most of the afternoon," Harrison said with a groan. "I didn't even know how long it had been 'til it started to get dark. It was just like old times."

"Don't worry," Tru repeated. "I'll find a way to keep you occupied away from the poker table."

"Thanks Tru," Harrison said.

"Yeah, well, we've got to stick together," Tru said, giving him a quick hug of reassurance.

"That's what I like to see," Richard said from the doorway. "Everyone getting along again. Are we all ready for dinner?"

Tru shrugged with a glance across the room where it was clear that Meredith still hadn't returned.

"No Meredith?" Richard asked as he followed Tru's gaze.

"I've not seen her all day," Tru answered with a frown. "Have you?"

Both Richard and Harrison shook their heads.

"Shall we wait for her?" Harrison asked.

"No," Richard shook his head. "She knows where we are having dinner, she's probably there already, waiting for us."

Tru frowned. She didn't think that she would see Meredith there already. She had been back at their cabin for some time and Meredith hadn't appeared to get changed for dinner. She knew that she usually would and doubted she would be making an exception this time. Still, there was no telling when she would reappear again so it was a little pointless to wait around for her to show up.

Shutting the door behind them Tru followed after her father and Harrison as they headed to dinner.

* * *

"I should be getting back to the family," Meredith said with a small sigh as she and Jack walked along the deck.

"Do you have to?" Jack asked, as he led her to the place he had first introduced himself to her that morning. He hoped that the subtle reminder of being in the place where they had watched Tru and Harrison laughing together without her was enough to alter her decision to join them.

"I guess they wouldn't miss me," Meredith said and Jack silently congratulated himself on the ease with which he had managed to manipulate her into staying with him.

"That's settled then," Jack said as they continued their walk.

"So we've talked about me all afternoon," Meredith asked. "What about you? Do you work in New York?"

"For the moment," Jack replied. "I have a particularly difficult job on at the moment but once it's sorted I'm hoping to transfer out of the city."

"Where do you have in mind?"

"I don't know," Jack said thoughtfully. "Vegas might be good for someone with my skills."

"And what skills would those be?" Meredith asked with a grin.

Jack smiled back and turned his charm up another notch. Let Richard work on manipulating Harrison. He still didn't think Richard's plan would work and he was getting a much better idea.

* * *

"A toast," Richard said as he raised his glass. Tru and Harrison followed his example. "To family."

"To a new start," Harrison added. Tru nodded in agreement and they all took a drink.

She glanced towards the entrance one last time but there was still no sign of Meredith. She felt a small stab of guilt at drinking a toast to family when Meredith wasn't with them.

"I'm sure she'll appear soon enough Tru," Richard said as he replaced his glass. "She's probably just found some new friends and lost track of time."

"Yeah, probably," Tru agreed as she turned her concentration to the menu.

The evening passed on pleasantly enough and Tru felt herself relax as Richard and Harrison caught up with each other's news. She didn't say much herself but enjoyed watching the two men in her family laughing and joking together. She tried to recall the last time that she had heard her father laugh the way he was doing now and couldn't remember a single occasion. She laughed along with them as Harrison relayed to their father a particularly amusing story about one of his usual mishaps. She remembered the occasion well although it was a couple of years ago and she realised again just how much time had slipped past over the years. Maybe Harrison was right and she should just give their father a chance to make things up to them.

The restaurant was nearly empty by the time they left.

Meredith had never shown up at all.

Tru and Harrison headed back to Tru's cabin to check on whether Meredith had returned. Richard excused himself with a comment about leaving the young people to party. Tru watched him disappear around a corner before turning back to Harrison.

"See, isn't this great?" he asked as he swung an arm around her shoulder. "Even you've got to admit he's making a real effort."

"Yeah," Tru agreed. "I'll give him a chance."

"Great," Harrison replied with a grin. "Now let's go find Meredith and we can all go party."

Tru opened the door to the cabin and saw instantly that Meredith was not inside.

"I hope she's okay," Tru said with a worried frown. She looked about the room and although she couldn't tell for sure, she didn't think that anything had been moved since they had left to go to dinner.

"I'm sure she's fine," Harrison said with a shrug. "Come on Tru, let's go see what the nightlife on this boat is like. She's probably already partying like always."

"That's what worries me," Tru said.

"I thought we'd agreed that you'd stop worrying and start relaxing," Harrison reprimanded.

"Stop worrying?" Tru asked. "You might as well ask me to stop breathing."

Harrison laughed as they left the cabin. "You know that if any of us is going to stop breathing it has to be me. That way you get to rewind and save me."

"If you were a little more responsible I wouldn't have to," Tru joked.

"You think I'm irresponsible?" Harrison asked in mock surprise.

Tru laughed aloud, her mood much lighter.

They arrived at a bar with a crowded dance floor and she scanned the room for Meredith but there was no sign of her. She looked again as Harrison ordered drinks to try to cover her surprise that he was paying for them too. "I told you I won today," he pointed out with a grin.

Tru shook her head and looked again for Meredith only to see across the room a familiar countenance. She felt her blood start to rush to her head and shook it to clear her vision. She had to be imagining things, there was no way Jack could be on board the ship.

"What's wrong?" Harrison asked as he passed her her drink and took a gulp of his own.

"I thought I saw…"

"Saw what?"

"Jack."

"You're getting paranoid again," Harrison cautioned her. "Take a drink and soon you'll have forgotten all about him."

Tru took a drink and looked across the room again. No it wasn't her imagination, sitting across the room, calmly watching the dancers on the floor, was Death himself.

* * *

_A/N: I hope you are enjoying the story. Be sure to leave me a review if you are (or even if you are not - let me know why). I have lots more stories planned for Tru Calling and have now added a section to my user profile showing what is going to be coming up soon. Just a taster of what I am planning. Check it out._


	5. Chapter Five

Tru walked across the room leaving Harrison looking after her. She heard him swear loudly and hurry after her. He had spotted Jack too.

Jack looked up at Tru with a casual smile. She thought that perhaps he was surprised to see her or annoyed that she had found him, but the look vanished in an instant and his friendly mask slipped into place.

"Isn't this a pleasant cruise?" Jack asked as he took a drink of his beer. "Everyone's so friendly and it's just _so_ nice to relax. Don't you think Tru?"

"Oh, that's sweet," Tru replied. "I'll tell you what you can do to help me relax even more. Jump overboard."

"Tru, I'm hurt that you don't want me here," Jack said in a mocking tone.

"If Death's afraid to jump, I'll help him overboard," Harrison offered with a glare.

"Harrison, really. What have I done to deserve that sort of animosity?" Jack asked as he took another drink.

"You want a list?" Harrison replied.

"You really have got to learn to let things go," Jack sighed. "I keep telling you it's nothing personal. Can't we all just be friends again?"

"We weren't friends in the first place," Tru pointed out. "You lied right from the start and _friends_ don't do that."

"Then how about a clean slate?" Jack asked. "Let's start over right now."

"Does that mean you're going to stop killing people?" Tru asked in a mock innocent tone.

"_Preserving fate_," Jack corrected. "And of course I'm going to carry on doing that. It's my job."

"And saving people who ask for help is mine," Tru replied. "So until you quit your 'job' we can never be friends."

"Then how about a truce whilst we're all on vacation together?" Jack compromised. "After all, there aren't any dead bodies around here, are there?"

"He's got a point," Harrison whispered to Tru. "Why let him ruin our vacation? Just leave him be and enjoy yourself."

"I would except I want to know why he's here at all," Tru said with a look at Jack that indicated she expected him to answer her query.

"Can't I book a vacation without an ulterior motive?" Jack asked.

"On board the exact same cruise liner I happen to be on?" Tru sarcastically retorted. "Just a bit too much of a coincidence if you ask me. Which means you're up to something and I want to know what."

"Just looking out for my friends," Jack answered with a smile and a shrug.

Tru looked at Harrison who didn't believe him any more than she did. She passed Harrison her glass and leaned forward placing her hands on the table as she advanced on Jack.

"Stay away from me and stay away from my family," she hissed. "I don't know what you're up to but it's not going to work."

"Now look here Tru, I'm just not interested in you like that," Jack suddenly said in a very loud voice that carried over the crowd.

Tru jumped back with a confused look on her face. Jack stood up and put his arm around her shoulder in a friendly, consoling gesture. Tru tried to shake him off but he had manoeuvred her into an angle where she could not quite move out of the way because of the layout of the tables and chairs.

"What the…" she started to say before the voice of the missing Meredith drew her attention away from Jack and to her older sister.

"Tru?" Meredith asked. "What's going on?"

"I'm sorry Meredith," Jack interjected. "I just introduced myself to your brother and sister. I thought we could all spend the evening together. But Tru here doesn't seem to understand that I'm already enamoured with the other Davies sister."

"You tried to come onto Jack?" Meredith asked Tru with a glare.

"No," Tru replied in horror at what Jack was implying.

"I'm sorry you had to witness that," Jack said to Meredith with a sympathetic shake of his head. "You saw how she was leaning into me didn't you?"

"That's _not_ how it was," Tru hissed as she tried again to shake Jack's arm off.

"That's how it looked to me," Meredith replied.

"Tru isn't interested in Jack," Harrison said in defence of Tru.

"Well of course you'd say that," Meredith said with a snort of contempt. "You two always stick together."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Tru asked as she finally managed to get out from Jack's unwanted embrace.

"It's not like the two of you haven't always had your own private little club which no one else gets into," Meredith snarled. "You've always stuck together and damn everybody else."

"That's not true," Tru replied although she had to admit to herself that she was far closer to her younger brother than her older sister. She had quickly confided in Harrison about her calling but she had never seriously considered telling Meredith about her reliving days. It might have crossed her mind briefly on the occasions when she was keeping her out of trouble, but that was all.

"I don't hear Harrison denying it," Meredith replied with a smug look at her brother. Tru turned to Harrison to see him looking down at his feet. They both knew that Meredith might be wrong on some things but was horribly close to the truth when it came to others.

"Now girls, let's not make a scene," Jack said. "How about we all get a drink and forget about Tru's little misunderstanding?"

"My misunderstanding?" Tru snapped, as Meredith seemed to be considering the suggestion.

"I know you're a little embarrassed by all this Tru, but we'll just forget about it," Jack said with understanding.

Tru glared at him and grabbing Meredith by the arm she pulled her from the room. "Keep an eye on him," she ordered Harrison as they left.

Her last glance at Harrison showed her that he was not going to let Jack out of his sight, nor was he going to be letting Jack follow after her. She breathed a sigh of relief as she considered what she was going to say to Meredith.

"What the hell was that all about?" Meredith asked as she freed herself from Tru's grip. "You ignore me all day and then have the nerve to make a move on the only friend I've made since we came on board."

"I did _not_ make a move for Jack," Tru said with a sigh. "He was lying, that's what he does."

"How would you know that?" Meredith asked. "You've only just met him."

"Is that what he told you?" Tru asked. "Well that was his first lie."

"He would have mentioned if he'd met you before," Meredith said with a huff of impatience.

"But we have, and he didn't," Tru explained. "Doesn't that tell you something?"

"So when did you meet him?" Meredith asked in a calmer tone than she had used since she had walked into the bar.

"He worked at the morgue for a little while a few months ago," Tru said.

"Maybe he forgot he knew you," Meredith suggested.

Tru gave her a look of contempt. "He hasn't forgotten me since he's been practically stalking me ever since. He's followed me onto this ship with the sole purpose of making my life a misery."

"That's ridiculous," Meredith replied. "He was perfectly friendly in there and has been pleasant company all day. Considering your own behaviour in there I'm surprised he still wanted to spend the evening with all of us."

"You're not listening to what I'm saying," Tru said with another sigh. "All that in there was a lie, he's lied to you all day, he was lying then and if we go back in there he'll do it again. It's what he does."

"You're being ridiculous," Meredith repeated as she moved past Tru to return to the bar.

"He's a murderer," Tru blurted out. "He was responsible for Luc's death."

Meredith stopped and turned round at that. "That's a serious accusation Tru, and I'm well aware of the identity of the man who killed Luc. To say that Jack was to blame is really lame."

"Meredith, you have to stay away from Jack," Tru pleaded as Meredith walked back into the bar. She followed after her and looked about for Jack and Harrison but couldn't see either of them where they had left them.

She was about to leave when she saw someone pointing in her direction while talking to a member of the crew.

"What now?" Tru muttered as the crewman walked over to her.

"Were you here with a Mr Davies and a Mr Harper a short while ago?" the crewman asked each of them. Tru nodded as Meredith did likewise. "They have been escorted out of the bar. Fighting is strictly prohibited on board. They are both barred from the bars for the duration of the cruise. Neither were particularly forthcoming about what they were fighting over. Would either of you have any ideas about that?"

Meredith shook her head as Tru did the same. It was easier than trying to explain the whole mess to a total stranger when she couldn't even manage to explain to her own sister.

The crewman looked at her intently before turning to leave with a final comment about keeping their men under control.

"That's just typical of Harrison," Meredith complained as the left the bar again.

"Such family loyalty you're showing there," Tru snapped. "You automatically blame Harry and don't even think that Jack might be responsible."

"Harrison can't stay out of trouble for more than a few hours without you holding his hand," Meredith replied. "Jack is entirely different."

"Oh forget it," Tru sighed as she looked to around to see where the men had disappeared to. They had not seen them leave the bar so they must have gone in another direction to where she had dragged Meredith a short while ago. Keeping that in mind, Tru walked in the opposite direction, keeping her eyes peeled.

She eventually spotted Harrison sitting on the stairs leading down to another deck. From the look of him he hadn't come off best in the fight, he had a black eye and was cautiously prodding a split lip.

"Typical," Meredith said as she looked at her younger brother. "Where's Jack?"

"Charming," Harrison muttered. "You care more about that creep than you do about your own brother."

"Fine, I'll find him myself," Meredith said as turned on her heel and stalked off in search of Jack. "That way you can tell Tru all about it and leave me in the dark again."

"Let me have a look at you," Tru said as she sat down beside Harrison who shifted across to make room for her. She quickly saw that he was not particularly badly injured and the blood spilling from his lip made it look far worse than it actually was. "What happened?"

"Nothing," Harrison muttered looking away and brushed Tru off.

"There must have been something," Tru replied. "What did he say?"

"Nothing," Harrison replied as he stood up. Tru followed him and down the stairs as she continued to press him for details as to what had happened since she and Meredith had left him alone in the bar with Jack.

"Okay, you just decided to let him use you as a punch bag, did you?" Tru asked with a frustrated sarcasm she usually didn't direct at her brother.

"Just leave it Tru," Harrison warned.

"What can be so bad you can't tell me?" asked Tru with more than a hint of impatience.

"Do you have to know everything?" Harrison snapped. "Do you have to be in control of everything, every minute, every day?"

"Of course not."

"Then just leave it," said Harrison, his voice rising.

"I'm just worried about you," Tru said in a quiet tone.

"Well don't be," Harrison replied. "I _can_ take care of myself. You don't have to save me _all_ the time."

"No, I don't," Tru answered as her own temper rose. "Only when Jack's involved and in case you'd forgotten he thinks you should be dead and we know he's not above ensuring that people he thinks should die do."

"Then that's _my_ problem isn't it?" Harrison retorted as he walked off.

Tru didn't follow after him this time. She wondered what exactly had been said between Jack and Harrison in the few minutes that she had been absent. Since Harrison clearly wasn't talking she decided to seek out the one she knew instinctively had caused the trouble.

* * *

"What do you mean, Tru knows you're here?" Richard said with a glare at Jack. "I thought I told you to keep out of her way?"

"Well she appeared in the same bar I was in," Jack explained. "A lucky coincidence."

"You mean _un_lucky?" Richard corrected. "What happened?"

"How do you know anything happened?" Jack asked with a shrug.

"The spots of blood on your shirt are rather telling," Richard pointed out. Jack looked down at his shirt and saw that it was indeed speckled with blood from his fight with Harrison.

"I handled it," Jack replied.

"You better keep on handling it," Richard said as he left Jack's cabin, slamming the door behind him.

* * *

Tru looked around the ship but could find no trace of Jack. She wondered if she should try to find Meredith or Harrison again but in the end she decided to leave them both to cool off for a while.

Her wandering lead her in the direction of the pool she had relaxed by that morning. She remembered her dinner date for the next evening and hoped that all the problems would be sorted by then.

She was just turning the corner to the poolside when she heard the sound of a strangled scream coming from the direction she was walking in. She rushed forward as she searched for the source of the scream. She hadn't quite pinpointed the exact location when she saw the shadow of a man and woman on the deck above her.

She rushed for the stairs and had just reached the bottom of them when the man pushed the woman over the railings and she landed in the water with a splash. Tru was about to chase after the man who was hurrying away when she realised that the woman was not moving in the pool and was instead laying face down in the water.

Leaving the man to make his escape Tru dove into the water and swam quickly to the woman. Grabbing her, she dragged her slowly to the side of the pool.

She had just reached the edge when she realised she was too late. The woman's head turned her way in a sudden familiar movement. "Save me," she whispered as time rewound.


	6. Chapter Six

Tru stood at the railing of the ship watching Harrison waving to the crowd below.

"Something wrong?" Harrison asked as Tru searched for Jack in the crowd. The feeling she had had the previous day, the feeling of someone watching her, was noticeably absent. She now knew for certain that Jack had been observing her the previous day but this time he was keeping his distance.

"I'm looking for Jack," Tru replied at Harrison's questioning look.

"Sis, you've got to forget about him and relax."

"Bit difficult to do that when he's here," Tru muttered as she walked towards their cabins.

"You're just being paranoid," Harrison said, putting his arm around her shoulders. "You need to relax, have a little fun, maybe a little shipboard romance."

"Jack _is_ here," Tru repeated. "It's one of _those_ days and he _is_ somewhere around here."

"Oh," Harrison replied, momentarily lost for words. "Maybe he won't get on board this time since you know he's here?"

"Oh he'll be somewhere around," Tru said. "The day's rewound so he'll want to be sure to keep fate satisfied by ensuring things play out the same way."

"Well I guess we better make sure everything's sorted out quickly so that you can enjoy the rest of the vacation. We can always throw Jack overboard."

"You suggested that yesterday," Tru said with a smile.

"Did you let me?" Harrison grinned back. "Oh, _please_ tell me you let me."

"Sorry," Tru shook her head. "Though maybe I should have."

"Why? What did he do?"

"I don't know," Tru answered. "The two of you had a fight and you wouldn't tell me what it was about."

"I wouldn't? Why not?"

"I don't know," Tru replied. "You wouldn't tell me and stormed off with a black eye, a split lip and a lot of attitude."

"Oh," Harrison said. "I guess I should apologise right?"

"Don't worry about it," Tru said, giving him a quick hug before opening the door to her cabin. "It's a new day and this one is going to be different."

"How so?" Harrison asked.

"Well for starters we've beaten Meredith to the room so I'm getting _that_ bed," Tru grinned as she pointed to the bed her sister had taken the previous day.

"What else?" Harrison questioned, sitting down on the couch and flicking through the brochure that Meredith had looked at the previous day.

"I think we should make sure we don't leave Meredith alone this time," Tru said with a thoughtful look.

"You know she gets bored hanging with us," Harrison pointed out. "I bet she slipped off on her own within a couple of hours."

"Right after we'd eaten," Tru confirmed. "She hooked up with Jack who tried to convince her that I'd come on to him."

"Did you?" Harrison asked aghast.

"No!"

"Because I know I suggested a shipboard romance, but not with him," Harrison continued as though Tru hadn't already answered his question.

"It was just Jack's way of causing trouble," Tru said with a shake of her head. "I took Meredith outside to try and explain to her to stay away from him. She wouldn't listen and we went back inside to find you two and been thrown out for fighting and then you wouldn't tell me what it was about."

"Maybe I was defending your virtue?" Harrison suggested. "I've seen the way he looks at you when you're not watching him."

"What?"

"There might be nothing going on between you two but I think he'd like there to be."

"Well that's his hard luck," Tru snapped. "We've other problems as well."

"Like what?" asked Richard from the doorway.

Tru turned to see their father with Meredith just behind him.

"Nothing dad," Harrison said with a grin. "Just a problem of trying to decide what to do first, right Tru?"

"Yeah," Tru agreed looking gratefully at her brother for his quick thinking.

"Well there's lots to do here," Richard said with a smile. "There a pool, bars, dances, games, a casino."

Tru turned her sharp glare at Harrison whose attention had been caught by the word casino.

"I know you like the odd game of poker Harrison," Richard said. "I thought we might go there later this afternoon."

"No thanks dad," interrupted Tru. "We've already got plans for the afternoon, don't we Harry?"

"Er, yeah," Harrison agreed. "Maybe later," he added, seeing his father's disappointment.

"Well how about we all get unpacked and get something to eat," Richard suggested.

"Good idea," Meredith agreed walking into the cabin. Harrison stood up and following after his father left the cabin for his own.

Tru started unpacking.

"So what are the plans for the afternoon?" Meredith asked as she opened her own suitcase.

"Um," Tru faltered, not having thought that far ahead when she had lied to keep Harrison from the poker table.

"Well?" Meredith asked. "You said you had plans, or weren't you planning on including _me_ in them?"

"Of course we were," Tru hurriedly tried to reassure her. "I just said that to keep Harrison from the poker table."

"Controlling him again," Meredith muttered. "Can't you let either of us live our own lives?"

"That's not fair," Tru replied. "You know I'm only looking out for him."

"Does he see it that way?" Meredith asked, raising an arched brow.

Tru remained quiet, knowing that Harrison had not been too pleased with her interference the previous day.

"I thought not," Meredith gloated.

"So what would you like us all to do this afternoon?" Tru asked in an effort to change the subject.

Meredith shrugged and continued to unpack.

This wasn't going to be easy, Tru thought. If she wasn't careful they were all going to come to blows again and she couldn't be there every minute of the day.

* * *

"Why didn't you call me?" Richard asked Jack with a glare. "You think you needn't bother telling me when it's a rewind day?"

"I was in a rush to make it to the ship," Jack replied. "I figured it was more important to be here on time than not at all because of phoning you."

"So what happened yesterday?" Richard asked in a business-like tone.

"The victim was strangled and thrown into the pool. Tru knows the exact time, she was there and witnessed the attack but was too late to do anything."

"And is Harrison coming round?"

"Well he spent most of the afternoon at the poker table with you, if that's what you mean?" Jack replied. "I think you said he won a few hands too."

"Good." Richard nodded. "I didn't think it'd be that easy to persuade him, but apparently he's weaker than I thought."

"Tru found out and stepped in," Jack added. "Caused a bit of a scene you said."

"Did Harrison listen to her?"

"No, he went back to the game with you," Jack confirmed with a smile.

"Excellent," Richard stood up to leave. "I'll just have to make sure that today is as successful as yesterday was. I suggest you do your job and ensure that it remains that way in all things."

Jack nodded as Richard left. He finished his unpacking before heading out to track down Meredith Davies again.

* * *

Tru shook her head at Harrison's suggestion that they go to the pool. She knew instinctively that he would spot the lifeguard looking her way again, and just like the previous day he would leave her and head straight into trouble.

When Meredith suggested checking out the gym and recreational facilities on board Tru jumped at the chance. Harrison looked bored at the thought but was soon talked into the idea. It was a good thing, Tru thought to herself because she had no intention of letting him out of her sight this time.

Half an hour later Tru and Meredith had changed clothes and working out in the gym. Tru turned the speed on her treadmill up a notch, it had been a while since she had had a good long run, at least if you didn't count her racing across the city on rewind days. She was thankful that today she had the advantage in that the victim was close by.

She wondered again where Jack was and hoped that he kept away from the victim. The last thing she needed was for him to interfere just enough for the attack on the victim to take place somewhere other than near the pool.

If it weren't for trying to keep her siblings from each tearing each other's throats out she would leave and track him down right now. Unfortunately the sniping between Harrison and Meredith was still going strong. She gritted her teeth as Meredith made a comment about Harrison mentally cheating on his girlfriend by checking out the women in the gym. She better not leave them alone just yet, she decided, turning the speed up another notch and taking out her frustration in the punishing pace she was setting herself.

"You're looking hot today Tru," Jack said by way of greeting.

Tru missed her step at the sound of his voice and had to slow down the machine as she struggled to get her pace back. "Think of the devil and in he walks," she muttered to herself.

"Aren't you going to introduce us?" Meredith asked. Smiling, she turned off her own machine and reached out to shake Jack's hand.

"Jack Harper," Jack said as he took her hand. "Tru does tend to forget her manners when I'm around."

"And other times too," Meredith replied with an airy laugh as she shook his hand.

"Looks like we have something in common already," Jack said with a charming smile. Tru continued to glare at him as she ran, gradually slowing her speed until she came to a halt.

"What do you want Jack?" Tru asked, pulling him to one side and out of earshot of Meredith. Harrison stood up from where he had been sitting watching the exchange and moved across to hear what they were saying.

"Now really Tru," Jack tutted. "Didn't we go through all this yesterday?"

"Yes but for some reason you seem to have forgotten that conversation. Forgotten it so well I wonder if maybe only I rewound today."

"Ah Tru," Jack laughed. "You wish."

"You want to get to the point and leave me to enjoy my vacation?" Tru asked with a bite of impatience in her voice.

"Really Tru, where are your manners today?"

"I didn't have time to pack them," Tru retorted. "What do you want?"

"Oh nothing much," Jack said. "I just thought I would stop by and say hi to you all again. Meredith and I had such a nice time yesterday. Such a shame she doesn't remember."

"Stay away from my sister," Tru warned.

"I'll stay away from her, but can you keep her away from me? No telling where she might wander to without you keeping an eye on her. Like Harrison here, wandering to the poker tables."

"I haven't been near the tables," Harrison said defensively.

"I meant yesterday," Jack said. "Or didn't Tru tell you that she dragged you away from the poker table yesterday?"

"Is that right Tru?" Harrison asked, hesitant to believe Jack but curious nevertheless.

"You didn't tell him?" Jack asked with mock disappointment. "You didn't tell your own brother about what he did yesterday? Now that's hardly fair of you to only tell him what you want him to know. That's really rather arrogant of you."

"Was I gambling yesterday?" Harrison asked, glaring at Tru. Tru could tell from his face that he already knew the answer to the question but she nodded anyway.

"I could understand if he'd been losing," Jack commented. "But Harrison, you were on a winning streak yesterday." He put his arm around him to pat him on the back as if by way of congratulations.

"I was going to tell you," Tru said. "I just didn't get a chance. And the winning isn't the point. You shouldn't be gambling at all."

"Isn't that for him to decide?" Jack asked, playing the part of an impartial mediator to perfection. It was a pity his performance was lost on Tru who knew that he always had an ulterior motive.

"I hate to say it, but Jack's right about that," Harrison said shaking his head at Tru. "You can't just alter everyone's lives the way you think they should be."

"It wasn't like that," Tru interrupted.

"It doesn't matter what it was like," Harrison replied. "Saving my life is one thing but controlling it is another."

"You wouldn't mind so much if it wasn't for the fact you were winning," Tru pointed out.

"She has a point," Jack said.

"You stay out of this," Harrison snapped.

"I'm on your side," Jack said in a hurt tone.

"Just go away," ordered Tru in a tired voice.

"Okay," Jack agreed with a shrug. "I'll just go find Meredith and get to know her a bit better."

"Meredith?" Tru stopped talking and looked around the room.

She groaned as she realised what Jack meant. Whilst she had stood there arguing with him and Harrison, Meredith had left the room and was nowhere in sight.

Jack walked off with a parting smirk, leaving Tru and Harrison to continue their argument. His work was done for the moment.


	7. Chapter Seven

_For those that don't already know - Tru Calling is returning to Fox on Thursday 31 March at 8pm for a two hour second season premiere. The episodes are great (especially the second one) so don't miss them!_

* * *

"I can't believe I had to find out what I did yesterday from _him_," Harrison complained as Tru hurried out of the gym and after Meredith.

"Harry, I don't have time for this right now."

"You apparently had time to interfere yesterday," Harrison pointed out.

"That was different," Tru replied. "Yesterday was different."

"Only because you decided it should be."

"Can we just talk about this later and concentrate on finding Meredith?"

"Why? Is _she_ slipping back into her old habits again too?"

"No," Tru replied. It was a relief that at least that was one thing she didn't have to worry about. "But she spent yesterday with Jack and I want to make sure that this time she doesn't."

"Why are you so sure that was a bad thing?" Harrison asked finally succeeding in stopping Tru in her tracks. "Think about it. She can't tell him anything about you and the rewinds since she doesn't know about them. And he can't be 'preserving fate' if he's busy with Meredith. She can keep him occupied all day, leaving you to save the victim."

"I don't think Jack can be that easily distracted," replied Tru after considering her brother's words for a few minutes. "He isn't that interested in Meredith, it's only because she's my sister. Just the same as he only keeps tracking you down because you're my brother."

"Not because of my great fun personality," Harrison joked.

"You know what I mean," Tru said, rolling her eyes at her brother.

"Yeah, I know. It's pretty obvious anyway since he only turns up on rewind days."

"Where do you think Meredith would have gone?" Tru asked, attempting to get back to the problem at hand.

"One of the bars?" Harrison suggested. "How about we go check them all out and see if she's there?"

"You're barred," Tru pointed out without thinking. Sometimes it was a little hard to keep track of what was happening on what day especially when she was as distracted as she was now.

"Not today," Harrison grinned, leading her into the nearest one.

* * *

Thirty minutes later Tru decided they would have more luck if they split up and whilst Harrison went back to check their cabins she headed down to the poolside to see if she could see Meredith anywhere in that area. They were on a ship for goodness sake, there weren't that many places she could be.

Tru soon saw that Meredith was not anywhere around the pool but she did spot the young woman who had asked for help relaxing, reading a book, at the side of the pool.

Tru felt a twinge of guilt at the fact she had not even tried to track down the woman before now. Deciding that Meredith and Jack could wait a while Tru walked around the pool to introduce herself.

"Good book?" she asked, sitting down beside her.

"Not bad," the woman replied, smiling at Tru as she looked at her over the top of her sunglasses. "Just bought it from the shop on board. I knew I'd forgotten to pack something yesterday but only remembered when I reached for something to read out here."

"Happens to all of us," laughed Tru. "You here on your own?"

"No, there's a whole crowd of us, eight in total."

"Family?"

"Friends. Though there are two brothers amongst us."

"Brothers," Tru said, rolling her eyes. "Mine is around here somewhere looking for our sister."

"Family vacation?"

"Yeah, the three of us, plus our father." Tru frowned, wondering where their father had disappeared to again. For some reason he had vanished once again and for someone who wanted a family vacation he had shown even less interest in his children today than he had on the previous one.

"I take it there's a bit of tension between you all?" the woman asked.

"Not really," Tru replied, shaking her head. "Just the usual dysfunctional family troubles. I'm Tru Davies by the way."

"Stacey Sheldon," replied the woman, setting her book to one side and stretching. "I think I'll go for a swim. You?"

"Sure," Tru said, standing up. "I'll just run back to my cabin and change."

Stacey dived into the pool with a splash and Tru hurried back to the cabin to change and check if Meredith had surfaced. Once again the room was deserted, neither Meredith nor Harrison were anywhere about. Tru quickly changed into her swimsuit, and deciding Meredith and Harrison could take care of themselves for a while, she hurried back to the pool.

She couldn't see Stacey in the water and looking across to the other side Tru saw that she was standing near her seat, talking to Pete, the same lifeguard Tru had arranged to have dinner with the following evening. Groaning inwardly, Tru realised that in her determination to keep Harrison out of trouble she had once again lost out. Putting on a bright smile Tru walked over to Stacey and Pete, resolving not to let what had happened the previous day prey on her mind.

* * *

"Looking for someone?" Jack asked Richard as he approached the bar. He had already checked that Tru and Harrison were nowhere about and reasoned that it was safe to approach Richard and update him as to what was happening. From the look on Richard's face, Jack wondered if perhaps he had made a mistake.

"Not you," Richard replied with a glare at the entrance. "I'm waiting for Harrison to put in an appearance."

"How do you know he's going to?" Jack asked.

"Because you haven't told me enough about what I did yesterday to cause me to make any different choices. I'm just doing what I would normally do, so from your reasoning Harrison should turn up sooner or later to enable me to give him to the poker table."

"But that was yesterday," Jack pointed out with a sigh. Sometimes he wondered if Richard had been out of the game for too long; that or he was underestimating his daughter again. "Tru has Harrison sticking to her like glue today."

"That's not what I want to hear," Richard replied, taking a drink of whiskey and signalling the barman to pour him another. Jack frowned when he realised that Richard was not even going to offer him a drink; at least now he knew whom it was that Tru got her lack of manners from. "You should be ensuring things go the same as they did yesterday…in all respects."

"I thought I just had to make sure that the person who died stays dead?" Jack muttered, just loud enough for Richard to catch his words.

"You know _nothing_," Richard snapped. "You think only of today, only or what is right in front of you. You've no concept of the bigger picture, of what we are trying to achieve here, no concept at all."

"Then why don't you fill me in," Jack said as he ordered himself a drink. "You're so sure that having Harrison rewind is a good thing, why don't you explain that to me for starters."

"He's my son, in more ways than you can imagine," Richard replied, as cryptically as ever and as annoying as ever.

"He's also Tru's brother and a good kid. He's not going to automatically ignore cries for help, and I don't know why you're so convinced that he will."

"Because unlike Tru, Harrison is not the self sacrificing type. He's not the sort of person to give up his life to save strangers."

"It's not like Tru is giving up her life," Jack reasoned. "Who's to say that Harrison won't try to play things just like she does, the best of both worlds?"

"Because no one can do that. You know as well as I do that Tru won't be able to live in both worlds for much longer, the strain will become too much for her and something will have to be sacrificed. Tru will give up her dreams of medical school to answer the calling."

"You're sure about that?" Jack asked. From what he had seen Tru was balancing things pretty well. She had dreams of a career as a doctor, friends and family, a job in the morgue and her calling, and despite his best efforts to make her see sense there was no sign as yet of her giving up anything.

"I know my daughter, she's just like her mother, the calling will become everything to her, just like it did with Elise."

Jack looked away at that and took a long drink from his own shot. The bitterness in Richard's voice was more than he had ever heard from him before and he didn't like it, it was too close to home. He wondered, not for the first time, just exactly what had happened between Richard and his wife, what it was that had forced Richard to have his wife murdered. But if there was one thing that he had learned in recent months is was that Richard only told him what he wanted him to know and he was particularly closed mouthed about what had happened with his wife.

"And Harrison?" Jack finally asked, "You're so sure Harrison won't make the sacrifices?"

"Are you sure you've met my son?" Richard laughed before finishing his drink and leaving the bar without so much as a farewell.

* * *

Harrison too had given up looking for Meredith, who had apparently vanished without a trace. Deciding that it might be a good idea to spend some time with his father he set about retracing his steps to see if he could locate him.

He stood outside of the bar looking at Jack and Richard sitting together in the bar and wondered whether he should go and interrupt them. It looked like Tru was right and Jack was prepared to go to any lengths to get to Tru, even going through the formidable Richard Davies. He had still not made up his mind whether to go join them when his father stood up to leave, stepping out of the way he waited until Richard was outside before making his presence known.

"Hi Dad," he called in greeting. "Just been looking for you."

"Harrison," Richard replied with a nervous glance back towards the door. "Did you want something?"

"Just a chance to spend some time with you," Harrison replied with a grin. "I didn't like to interrupt you," he nodded towards the door and saw through the glass that Jack was still in the same seat.

"You wouldn't have been interrupting," Richard replied, his composure returning as he realised that Harrison hadn't actually heard any of the conversation. "Just a fellow passenger angling for a free drink."

"Got the wrong man then, didn't he?" joked Harrison and the mood lightened considerably.

"Well let me prove you wrong by buying my favourite son one," Richard suggested, leading Harrison back inside.

"Well if you're paying," Harrison laughed as they approached the bar.

He wondered if Jack would say anything as they sat down in close proximity to where he was sat on one of the high stools. When Richard moved to the other end of the bar to get the attention of the barman, Harrison took the opportunity to warn Jack off.

"It won't work," he hissed at Jack after checking that his father was not close enough to hear him.

"What won't work Harrison?" Jack replied in mock innocence. "I don't know what you're talking about. You're getting as suspicious as your sister."

"Using dad to get to Tru," Harrison whispered. "It won't work. Dad doesn't know about Tru and even if he did the Davies family stick together. If he knew what you were, what you are doing to Tru, he'd eat you for breakfast."

Harrison watched Jack intently as he waited for him to respond, but instead of Jack speaking he merely grinned, shook his head as though contemplating a private joke, finished his drink, and turned to walk away.

* * *

_For those that don't already know (and in case you missed it above) - Tru Calling is returning to Fox on Thursday 31 March at 8pm for a two hour second season premiere. The episodes are great (especially the second one)so don't miss them!_


	8. Chapter Eight

Tru spent the rest of the afternoon with Stacey and tried to force some enthusiasm into her responses as Stacey speculated on the date with Pete they had just arranged for that evening. Tru knew that in reality Pete had not cheated on her by setting up a date with Stacey on this second version of the day, but unfortunately it still felt like he had.

Now Tru was helping Stacey pick out the perfect "date" outfit in her cabin, ready for dinner. Laughing and joking together they were having a great time but even knowing that Stacey's evening was going to be remarkably different to the previous day was not enough for her to shake the feeling of disappointment she had at her own lack of a date. Luckily for Tru, Stacey didn't seem to pick up on the negative vibes she was sure she was giving off. Consequently Tru found that Stacey's enthusiasm was at least mildly contagious and when Stacey suggested that they try to get Pete to bring a friend so they could double date, Tru felt her spirits lift.

A knock sounded on the cabin door and Tru stood up to answer it as Stacey tried to decide between the various items of jewellery she had brought with her.

"Can I help you?" Tru asked the young man at the door.

"Sorry, I thought this was Stacey's room," the man flushed in embarrassment and Tru shook her head and called Stacey from where she was sitting, just out of sight of the doorway.

"Wayne is that you?" Stacey asked as she put her head round the door. "Come in and tell me what you think?" She twirled around in the centre of the room, her arms outstretched to ensure that he got the full effect of her outfit.

"Dressed to kill," he smiled back and Tru felt a shiver down her spine. The outfit was not the same as she had worn on the previous day and she hoped that it would not be a case of dressing to be killed.

"Perfect," Stacey said. "So what's everyone else doing this evening?"

"We're all having dinner together, I came to find you since you'd disappeared after all that business with Kevin this morning."

"He's an idiot," Stacey snapped. "I don't know why he was invited with us, it's not like he's a part of our group or anything, he just sort of appeared and no one will admit to asking him along."

"He's just lonely," Wayne sighed. "No one has the heart to tell him to get lost, even if we weren't on a ship and have no real chance of getting shot of him anyway. Can't you just try to make the best of it?"

"You know what he's like," argued Stacey as she fumbled with the clasp of her chain in her annoyance at the uninvited member of their party. "He was dating my sister and tried it on with me, then lied about it and caused a load of trouble between us before Mel finally took a hint and dumped him."

"It's in the past," Wayne pointed out. "Can't you just try and forget about it and enjoy the vacation?"

"I agree with Wayne," Tru said, having got the general gist of the conversation and strongly suspecting that Kevin was the one who Stacey had been fighting with on the first day. "No sense in letting him ruin your entire vacation."

"You're probably right," Stacey sighed. "I guess we can call a truce for the week."

"Great," Wayne said with an enthusiastic clap of his hands and a grateful glance to Tru. "I don't believe we've been introduced," he said, rather belatedly as Tru helped Stacey with her necklace.

"Tru Davies," Tru said reaching around Stacey after securing the chain and shaking Wayne's hand.

"Well I'd better get going or Pete will think I stood him up," Stacey said as she sailed out the door with a wave. "I'd set the two of you up Tru if Wayne here weren't happily married already."

"Okay, that was awkward," Tru said to Wayne with an embarrassed smile.

"With Stacey you tend to get used to it. She does have a tendency to open her mouth without letting her brain check in first."

"You've known her long?" Tru asked.

"All our lives," Wayne replied. "And I wouldn't have her any other way. I just hope that her forthright attitude doesn't get her into trouble some day."

"You think it could?"

"I know it could. She really doesn't want to be getting on the wrong side of Kevin. He's not the type to sit back and ignore her comments."

"You think he's dangerous?"

"I don't know, but I wouldn't want to risk Stacey finding out the hard way. Her sister never has told us why she dumped the scumbag and that more than anything worries me."

Tru stood up, her brow puckered with a frown of concern. "I should get going," she said as she headed towards the door. "My family are probably waiting for me to get to dinner too."

"Okay, nice meeting you Tru," Wayne stood up and opened the door for her. "Enjoy your vacation."

"You too," replied Tru as she left the room with a glance at her watch that told her she wasn't going to have time to change for dinner this evening.

* * *

Meredith, Harrison and their father were already seated in the restaurant when Tru arrived. 

"Tru, where've you been?" Harrison asked with a wide grin. "You disappeared on us all and missed a great afternoon."

"I did?"

"Yeah, dad's been teaching me all these great tips for poker…" his voice trailed off at Tru's reprimanding frown.

"Harrison, did you listen to anything I said this morning?" Tru asked with a frustrated sigh.

"Yeah, I listened, but like dad said when I told him I shouldn't really be gambling, we're on vacation and it won't hurt anyone."

Damn, Tru thought as she looked across the table at her father. She had forgotten about his encouragement of Harrison the previous day and instead of badgering her brother into not gambling, what she should have been doing is stopping her father from trying to get him to the poker table at all.

"Now I know what you're thinking Tru," Richard started, holding his hands up in a placatory gesture. "But this is a vacation and I want everyone to be enjoying themselves, including Harrison. I don't want him worrying about any little problem he has whilst he's on vacation and if he wants to have a few games of poker then he has every right to."

"It'll be okay Tru," Harrison assured her. "It was only a few games and I didn't lose any money."

"You know that's not the point, you're both being plain irresponsible about this," Tru said. She was annoyed with herself for not keeping a closer eye on her brother, with her father for leading him astray, with Jack for his interference, and most of all annoyed with Harrison for having so little faith in himself after all his hard work over the last few months.

Picking up the menu with more force than was strictly necessary Tru buried her face in it to keep from saying something she would regret and ruining the cruise for the entire family.

"So how are you getting on with your new friend?" Harrison asked. Tru looked up to see his meaningfully raised brow as he tried to ask her if she had successful diverted trouble for the victim, without actually asking it aloud.

"She's on a date just across the room there," Tru said. "With one of the lifeguards."

"Looks like she's have a good time," Harrison commented as he looked towards the corner of the room Tru had gestured towards. Tru agreed with his estimation and felt another stab of jealousy as she watched Pete and Stacey laughing together at some joke as they waited for their orders to arrive.

"I think we should find someone for Tru whilst we're here," Harrison suggested with a wicked grin.

"And Meredith," Richard joked back as Tru and Meredith exchanged a look of horror at the thought of the two men at the table interfering in their lives. Tru was hard pressed to imagine which was worse, the pair of them bonding over a poker game or the pair of them bonding as they decided just what sort of men she and Meredith needed.

"Okay, maybe not," Harrison laughed as Tru kicked him under the table.

The mood had lightened considerably by the time that their orders arrived and Tru resolved to keep an eye on Harrison for the rest of the cruise but not to mention the gambling issue again. She had successfully managed to let it interfere with their vacation both of the first day and this one; there was no sense in letting it ruin the rest too.

They were just starting on their desserts when Harrison, who had the best vantage point to see Stacey and her date, nudged Tru and nodded in that general direction. "Looks like trouble," he said with a frown.

Tru followed his gaze across the room and agreed instantly. Pete was on his feet and trying to placate a man who Tru was sure was Kevin. He was the same height and build as the man she had seen above the pool the previous day and it seemed that Stacey's date had not averted the trouble, but had only brought it forward in time. Looking around the room Tru was relieved to note that Jack was nowhere in sight, at least that was one less thing to worry about.

"I'm going to see if I can help," Tru said, ignoring her father's advice to leave them alone and mind her own business, as she walked across the room to see what she could do.

"Is there a problem Stacey?" Tru asked with a bright smile.

"Just an unwanted guest," Stacey replied with a death glare at the furious, red-faced, Kevin who stood over the table and refused to budge from the spot, despite Pete's best efforts to get him to leave.

"I'll get someone to call security," Pete said, waving over one of the waitresses who had been eyeing the goings on with a little trepidation. She nodded at his words and scurried off to do his bidding but Kevin didn't seem bothered by the thought of impending trouble from the security staff.

A few minutes later two burly looking security officers arrived in the restaurant and lead the still angry looking, though not arguing, Kevin away from the room.

"He won't bother you for the rest of the trip," Pete said. "After the threats he was making just now they'll be keeping a very close eye on him."

"You sure you're okay?" Tru asked Stacey who she could see was shaking slightly.

"I'm fine," she replied. "You go back and enjoy your dinner. Really, I'm fine."

"If you're sure?" Tru asked before returning to her family at Stacey's firm nod confirming she was okay.

Back at the table Tru breathed a sigh of relief that the trouble all seemed to have been averted. It worried her that it was one of the easiest rewinds she had had in a long time, if she didn't count the problems of trying to keep her family happy too, and she wondered why Jack hadn't done more to keep the day from ending the same way. It seemed a little odd that he had done little more than interfere with her family and, as far as she knew, done nothing to keep Stacey from dying.

With a stab of unease she realised that because of the problems with her family she had really done very little to ensure that Stacey lived either and the unease blossomed in her chest as she considered how easily things could have played out very differently.

Taking a drink she decided not to ponder on the issue until she returned home and had a chance to speak with Davis about it. She was sure that he would have some idea about what Jack's game was.

* * *

"So what's your excuse this time?" Richard asked with a bored look of contempt at Jack who merely shrugged in response. 

"I decided to utilise my time more productively," he finally replied when it was clear that Richard was not only expecting, but demanding an answer to his question.

"You time should be spent ensuring that the balance is kept and that fate is appeased, nothing more, nothing less."

"Tru wasn't doing anything to alter things," Jack pointed out.

"Except she did," Richard countered, slamming his fist down on the table in Jack's cabin.

"Not intentionally," replied Jack, stepping back slightly and out of Richard's way. He had heard rumours about Richard's temper and he certainly didn't want to be on the receiving end of it.

"Intentionally or not, you should have been doing all you could to ensure that the woman died. Instead you were doing what? Socialising?"

"I was putting a few cats amongst the pigeons you call your kids," Jack said with a smile.

"Well in future I suggest you leave the family problems to me and concentrate on your own job. Is that clear?"

"Oh as crystal," Jack nodded, unable to keep the sarcasm out of his voice.

"It better be," Richard hissed as he left the cabin, slamming the door shut behind him.

* * *

"So how was the vacation?" Davis asked as Tru arrived for her first day back at work. "A whole week without rewinding. Must be a record." 

"Don't write it in the books yet," Tru grimaced. "Death _will_ insist on following me about, literally and figuratively it seems."

"You don't mean you had a rewind day on your cruise?"

"Oh yeah, and Jack was along for the trip too, just to make it that little bit _extra_ special."

"Did you save the victim?"

"Yeah, she's fine," Tru nodded. "Though it was more by luck than judgement. It was a mess, a complete and total utter shambles."

"We knew that Jack would be stepping up his game," Davis pointed out, consolingly. "The important thing is that you didn't let him get the best of you."

"It wasn't Jack," Tru admitted with a frown. "It was me. I wasn't concentrating and I spent too much time trying to keep Meredith and Harrison out of trouble when I should have been helping _her_. It was only good luck that she survived and that's what worries me."

"There was trouble with your family? I know it must have been a tough call to make, to try and balance things between helping them and saving the victim."

"That's not the point," Tru said as she sank into one of the chairs. "I let the problems with them stop me from doing what I was meant to. Their problems were nothing compared to the loss of someone's life but I was so busy sorting them out I…."

Tru sank her head into her hands, shocked by how close she had come to failing to answer her calling, but also relieved that fate had intervened to make up for her own shortcomings.

"I think you'll just have to look on this as an experience to learn from in the future. And at least you kept your family out of trouble."

"Actually I didn't," Tru admitted, looking up to where Davis stood over her with a cup of coffee in his outstretched hand. "Harrison still ended up gambling at the poker table, bonding with dad, and Meredith was just her usual self and we ended up arguing nearly every day about the silliest little things."

"But things are good now?"

"Meredith's gone back to work the same as normal but Harrison is still in a bit of a mood about the whole poker business."

"Ah."

"Do _you_ think I'm some sort of a control freak?"

"No," Davis replied instantly. "Is that what he said?"

"It was the gist of it. Jack put the idea into his head that I alter days to suit myself and control him in the process."

"You just have to remember that when it comes to your brother you do everything with his best interests at heart, and I'm sure that no matter what he's said deep down he knows that too."

"Probably," Tru replied sipping on the coffee.

"Just put the whole vacation behind you and concentrate on getting things back to normal."

"You mean as normal as they can be when you relive days?" Tru joked weakly.

"Yeah, that's what I mean," Davis replied before hustling Tru back to work.

The End  
(of this story but the backstory will continue in Divide and Conquer)


End file.
